Ranveer Brar is on a quest. The 41-year-old chef known for shows such as Breakfast Xpress, The Great Indian Rasoi, Ranveer’s Cafe, Thank God It’s Fryday , as well as season four of MasterChefIndia on which he was a judge along with Sanjeev Kapoor and Vikas Khanna, is now looking for the best festival food across the country.
Whether it’s the multi-course ela sadya for Onam featuring items such as thoran, mor curry, erissery, avial and of course, paal payasam or the kosha mangsho, bhapa ilish, luchi, aloo dum and kolar bora found in Bengali households during Durga pujo, food is an essential component of the celebrations. On his new show, Home Made Love , Ranveer meets the women behind the food and often at the heart of the celebrations (including his mother), cooks with them, shares their food and learns their stories.
The show will cover Deepavali, Ganesh Chaturthi, Onam and Durga pujo.
Excerpts from an interview
Did any stories stand out to you from the women you met while doing the show?
Amongst other things, the best part was how all of them respected different cultures. We had people from various cultures but we [usually] look at cultures in isolation. This was a good way to look at cultures within homes. For example, the Bengali culture during pujo . What is the home like during that festival? Normally, we look at it from the perspective of what the celebration is like for a community. This was very immersive because it allowed me to understand what a festive celebration in a household or a home is like.
The biggest story I can remember is a woman who came to cook for Ganpati puja . She did a modakachi thali . She stood there and gave me 20 versions of modakachi they do at home in Khandesh. It’s just amazing how much they are doing in their home kitchens. Because they are understated and nonchalant, it’s something that we normally don’t care about.
The show features two things: one is the home perspective of a festival rather than a community perspective. Second is the immense knowledge that a home kitchen carries.
What are the cuisines showcased on the show?
We cover Sindhi, Malayali, Maharashtrian, Marwari, and Bengali food, and we cover my mom’s food, which is Punjabi.
Do you think the show is a way of documenting culture and food heritage?
I think document is a very strong word. We need many, many more shows like this. There is a big culinary heritage that lies in our homes, not just in royal families or in street food. It’s in creating that awareness that this show is going to go a long way.
Did any dish or recipe surprise you? Anything obscure perhaps?
The Bengali recipe of paturi is normally a very common recipe in which you use fish or shrimp (the meat is marinated, wrapped in banana leaves and steamed).
There was one woman who made a chingri paturi , but she also added some pumpkin and mochar (banana flowers), which I felt was a very interesting take.
Additionally, the same or similar food is very different across regions and communities isn’t it?
I think lentils, rice and wheat are the three things that unify as well as make India diverse.
How people treat lentils differently in different regions, how they treat rice, and wheat and wheat products differently. There it’s obvious how society, climate and culture have influenced our cooking.
Now with shows such as MasterChef and Home Made Love , do you think that home cooks like our mothers and grandmothers are getting their due?
It will take some time but we have at least started on this journey. I don’t think they are getting their due as yet, but it’s a good start.
Home Made Love airs on TLC and will be on till the end of the festive season.
